Some medical X-ray imaging techniques provide for detecting variations in contrast of regions of interest of a subject, including different organs, tissues, cells and the like. In order to increase the contrast of regions of interest, some of the imaging techniques may provide for administration of contrast-enhancing agents to the subject. The contrast-enhancing agents may accentuate existing differences in contrast between different areas of interest, or may produce differences in contrast where such differences do not exist without use of the agents.
There have been advancements in medical X-ray imaging, specifically relating to the instruments or machines used to detect the differences in contrast. Such advancements include increases in the speed of such instruments, increases in the resolution of such instruments, and the like. These advancements have provided, in part, for new medical imaging methods. One such method, whole-body imaging, may provide information on the vasculature of the entire body of a subject.
Compared to advances in the instruments used for X-ray imaging, advances in contrast-enhancing agents have not been as forthcoming. Current contrast-enhancing agents for medical imaging using X-rays may have limitations for applications such as whole-body imaging due to, among other things, their rapid clearance from the body, prevalent extravasation, their renal toxicity and their inability to target specific areas of the body.